PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique for imaging the distribution of an absorption coefficient (μa) in a subject more accurately in photoacoustic tomography.SOLUTION: A subject information processing apparatus includes: a light source 102 which emits light to a subject 100 an acoustic wave detector 106 that detects an acoustic wave 105 which a light absorber 104 in the subject 100 generates by absorbing the light, and that converts it to an electric signal a measuring part 107 that measures the shape of the subject and a signal processing part 108 that obtains a light quantity distribution in the subject by a calculation method for solving a transport equation indicating the propagation of three-dimensional light based on information on the shape of the subject 100 measured by the measuring part 107 and obtains information inside the subject from the light quantity distribution and the electric signal.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】光音響トモグラフィーにおいて、被検体内の吸収係数(μa)の分布をより正確に画像化するための技術を提供する。【解決手段】被検体100に光を照射する光源102と、被検体100内の光吸収体104が光を吸収することによって発生する音響波105を検出して電気信号に変換する音響波検出器106と、被検体の外形を測定する測定部107と、測定部107が測定した被検体100の外形の情報に基づき、3次元的な光の伝搬を表わす輸送方程式を解くための計算手法により前記被検体内の光量分布を取得し、光量分布と、電気信号とから被検体内部の情報を取得する信号処理部108とを備える被検体情報処理装置を用いる。【選択図】図1
